Principal Engineer

Role Summary   We are seeking a Principal Engineer (.NET) to lead the architecture, design, and delivery of scalable, high-performance SaaS platforms. This role merges technical expertise with strategic leadership, ensuring robust system design and engineering excellence while facilitating communication between our Pune and Boston (US) teams.   As a senior technical leader, you will oversee complex team initiatives, set architectural direction, and guide the development of solutions using the Microsoft technology stack.   Product & Technical Context Large-scale SaaS / enterprise platforms Backend: .NET / .NET Core (C#), ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework ● Architecture: Microservices, distributed systems, event-driven architecture ● Cloud: Microsoft Azure (preferred) or AWS. Infrastructure & Tools: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), App Services Azure SQL, NoSQL databases Messaging systems (Service Bus / Kafka / RabbitMQ) CI/CD (Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions) Frontend: Angular / React (ecosystem awareness preferred) Key Responsibilities   Architecture & System Design Lead system-level architecture and design for complex distributed systems. Develop AI-powered features that utilize large language models to enhance user workflows. Translate business requirements into scalable, secure, and maintainable solutions. Define and implement: Microservices architecture API-first design Event-driven systems Produce and maintain: High-Level Designs (HLDs), Low-Level Designs (LLDs) Architecture diagrams Technical documentation Ensure systems meet non-functional requirements: Scalability, performance, availability, security Technical Leadership & Execution Drive architecture discussions and technical decisions across teams. Act as the go-to expert for the .NET ecosystem and system design. Stay hands-on with coding and solutioning as needed. Own the delivery of large-scale, cross-team initiatives. Engineering Excellence & Best Practices Define and enforce: Coding standards Design patterns Testing strategies CI/CD best practices Ensure high-quality, maintainable, and performant codebases. Promote the adoption of modern engineering practices and tools. Cloud & Infrastructure Architect and optimize solutions on Microsoft Azure. Work with: AKS / Kubernetes Azure services (App Services, Functions, Storage, Networking). Ensure: Cost optimization Performance tuning High availability and fault tolerance Problem Solving & Decision Making Address complex technical challenges at scale. Conduct buy vs build analysis. Make decisions considering: Performance Cost Maintainability Long-term scalability Leadership & Mentorship Mentor engineers across teams and levels. Drive technical excellence and knowledge sharing. Support team growth, hiring, and succession planning. Serve as a technical role model within the organization. Collaboration & Stakeholder Management Collaborate closely with: Product managers Engineering leaders Business stakeholders Align technical solutions with business goals. Effectively communicate complex technical concepts to stakeholders. Required Skills & Experience 10+ years of experience in software engineering. Strong expertise in: C# / .NET / .NET Core / ASP.NET Core. Proven experience in: Designing scalable distributed systems. Microservices architecture. API design and integrations. Hands-on experience with: Microsoft Azure (must-have). Kubernetes / Docker. CI/CD pipelines. Strong understanding of: Design patterns & architecture principles. Performance optimization. High availability & fault tolerance. Experience with: SQL (Azure SQL / SQL Server). NoSQL databases. Messaging systems. What Success Looks Like Scalable and well-architected systems that support business growth. Strong engineering practices adopted across teams. High system reliability, performance, and maintainability. Teams empowered through strong technical leadership and mentorship. Why This Role Matters   This is a high-impact leadership role where you will define architecture at scale, influence multiple teams, and shape the technical direction of critical platforms. You will play a vital role in ensuring long-term system sustainability, innovation, and engineering excellence. Offices: (Pune);